There exist many types of anchors such as, but not limited to, mushroom anchors, grapple anchors, and fluke anchors for anchoring floating vessels and other devices in many different water bodies and sea conditions. For instance, a mushroom anchor is shaped as the name implies and is used by boats in areas with little current or wind. A mushroom anchor typically anchors small boats in position using primarily the weight of the anchor. Mushroom anchors typically are not effective in areas having currents, moderate to high wind speeds, or moderate to high seas.
A grapple anchor typically includes one or more hooks coupled to a base end of an elongated shank and is configured to be used to anchor a vessel to a reef. While efficient for anchoring a vessel to a reef, a grapple anchor is ineffective when trying to anchor a vessel to a sandy bottom floor. Many grapple anchors are used effectively by coupling an anchor line to a base end of a grapple anchor, laying an anchor line parallel and adjacent to the elongated shank, and releasably coupling the anchor line to a tip end of the elongated shank using a tie having weak strength. When used, the anchor line pulls on the anchor from the tip end and thus, allows the anchor to be attached to a reef. However, if the grapple anchor becomes snagged, a vessel attached to the anchor line can be moved up-current or up-wind, and the anchor line can be pulled in an opposite direction from a direction in which the anchor line was pulled when the vessel was anchored. Pulling the anchor line in the opposite direction causes the weak tie to break and allows the anchor to be retrieved from the reef by pulling the base end of the anchor in a direction generally opposite to the direction of the points of the hooks on the grapple anchor.
A fluke anchor typically includes two or more flukes rotatably coupled to an elongated shank. The flukes rotatable relative to the elongated shank allow the flukes to penetrate a bottom floor. Fluke anchors work well with bottom floors composed primarily of sand and are most successful when used on bottom floors composed of a combination of sand and clay. However, fluke anchors are not typically effective when used on debris laden bottom floors such as reefs because the flukes often become snagged or entangled in the reef and are not easily released, if at all, by pulling on an anchor line attached to a tip of the elongated shank. Thus, fluke anchors are easily entangled in reefs.
Currently, vessels desiring to anchor in areas having sandy bottom floors and in areas having debris laden bottom floors are generally required to carry two or more anchors on board, which can consume valuable storage space in small vessels. Thus, a need exists for an anchor capable of being attached to a sandy bottom floor and to a debris laden bottom floor.